


Coffee Loosened Lips

by GrimLegate



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Coffee Shop, Just Before Fifth Palace, M/M, Pining, Rainy Days, Touch-Starved, emotional outburst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 12:24:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14044212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimLegate/pseuds/GrimLegate
Summary: There was nothing that Akira wanted more than to be inside and out of the rain, Akechi being there was just a pleasant addition.





	Coffee Loosened Lips

                The steady deluge had clouded the sky, rolling clouds darkened with the sound of thunder on the horizon. Beneath them passed the crowds of people, commuting from their jobs or to them, the steady pattern of passing umbrellas filling the streets. The steady footsteps through puddles added to the ambience of the rain hitting the earth, the heady scent of the humidity sucked up by the thirsting stones below. The steady, dredging steps never once did falter, the figure having resigned themselves to the soaked state that they were currently in since they had left the station.

                The rain had simply come out of nowhere, and without the umbrella sitting by the door to their abode, he would have been left stranded for the better part of the day if he had decided to wait it out. He had attempted to stay under the awnings, but he was forced out into the downpour eventually. There was no air of frustration though, finding something oddly calming about the frequent droplets that had fallen upon him. There was something renewing about the rain, even if it soaked into his jacket, and left a bitter chill creeping through his body.

                So, even despite the fascination with the gloomy skies and calming sensations, a thankful smile split his face as he turned the corner, seeing the familiar front of the coffee shop. Stepping under the cover, he resigned himself to being scolded for leaving his umbrella, knowing the owner would complain and send him to clean up after he had trekked water all the way up to the attic. He plucked his glasses off his face, nudging the door open as he wiped the droplets off of the surface. The figures inside were blurs of color, the Futaba’s startling orange hair, the dark-haired figure of Sojiro behind the counter, and the mousy brown of a patron, perched at the end of the bar.

                “I thought I told you to take your umbrella, just in case? Geez, you look like a drowned rat…” Sojiro sighed, and the figure at the bar turned to him, muted beiges and browns muddling together, until Akira pressed his glasses back up onto his nose. His eyebrows, hidden behind the messy locks, pinched up, surprised at Akechi’s patronage. Of course, he had been here a few times, but it seemed he was coming home to find the other there more frequently.

                “Did you walk all the way here without an umbrella? Why didn’t you stop and buy one?” The young girl asked, standing from the booth where she had been sitting.

                “I knew I had the one here, I didn’t want to waste the money.” He said, raising a hand to comb through the soaked locks. He wasn’t lying either, looking to Sojiro and Akechi. He _was_ buying medicine for what was effectively a family of seven, including himself, along with whatever other necessities they needed to infiltrate the palaces. Futaba simply shrugged, and Sojiro seemed to pay him little mind, tidying up behind the bar.

                “Just get upstairs, you’re dripping all over my floor – clean it up whenever you’re changed.”

                He couldn’t help the knowing smirk that crossed onto his lips, feeling as though he knew the other too well, carefully making his way towards the stairs. His shoes squeaked as he walked, and Akira could hear the soft, breathless chuckle coming from the bar. He turned his head, looking to the detective sat, chin in is hand while he watched him. The black-haired teen paused for a moment, the smile still playing on his lips while he grinded his heel against the tile, the sharp squeal followed by his more exaggerated steps to the stairs pulling more laughter from the usually stoic brunet.

                He was proud of himself, even if it was only a chuckle.

                His bag flopped onto the table, Morgana having elected to not come with him that day, so Akira could only imagine what the cat was getting up to. A quick scan of the room told him that the other was absent, shrugging it off. He was capable, and as far as Akira was concerned, he had more pressing matters. Namely getting warm, and returning downstairs to clean.

                The shedding of the waterlogged threads felt as though it lifted pounds off of his shoulders, dumping them into a messy pile to be taken care of later. The cool air hitting his skin brought forth a shiver, and he rushed into the casual clothes he wore while working. He wondered if he could convince Sojiro to make him a cup of coffee when he got downstairs, helping him to warm up after the frigid walk. His cleaning started with the stairs, kicking and pressing a rag onto each step to soak up the droplets of water that he had left.

                The cleanup downstairs was just as unremarkable, the tv droning on in the background while Akira mopped up the messy smatters of water that he had trekked in. The only thing that broke the steady, method movements was the sound of Sojiro’s phone, the tone catching everyone’s attention as the man answered.

                “Yes, this is Sojiro Sakura speaking…? Okay… Yes. Got it. I can be there in about twenty minutes.” The next thing he heard was a heavy sigh, and Akira’s head lifted to watch Sojiro shaking his head. “I need to go take care of some business – watch the store while I’m gone, alright? Don’t do anything stupid.”

                “Me? Doing something _stupid_? Futaba could you _imagine_?” The patronizing tone earned him no favors from the older man, but the girl snorted, stretching as she walked over towards the door.

                “Oh, _I_ could imagine.” She grinned, giving him a quick jab in the side, which he attempted to deflect, moving to retaliate. The dance continued on for a few quick moments, until Sojiro got both of them with two swift strikes, a bemused smile on his face. He grabbed hold of his umbrella, pulling the door open and unfolding the cover.

                “Just take care of the place, Akira.” He said, stepping out into the rain, the girl shooting him one last wave before following suit. The teen sighed, picking up the mop and taking it back over to the closet, shutting it in before returning to the bar. He looked at the empty space in front of Akechi, who had watched with a silent amusement through the entire exchange. He wondered if the other wanted something, going ahead and beginning to brew himself up a cup, hoping to chase away the chill.

                “Sakura-san seems much more light-hearted when you’re around.” The statement was completely passive, no hint of an accusatory tone following his words. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the almost forlorn expression on the other’s face. “He seems so on edge whenever I arrive, though he tries to hide it. I heard that Niijima was quite untoward to him concerning Wakaba’s daughter.” He continued, turning his head to look at Akira, who could only nod. “I can’t blame him for being uncomfortable.”

                Akira remembers the frustration he had felt, watching the woman prod this way and that for information, threatening Sojiro with the removal of the girl. It had made the matters far more pressing, all of the Phantom Thieves desperate to steal her treasure before Medjed, or the law, had had enough of waiting.

                “Even so,” Akira started, his heart feeling for the other. Despite all the scathing remarks towards their group in the past, he could only remember that day when the detective had first arrived. Sojiro had been as abrasive as Akira had ever seen him, and he remembered the words that Akechi had murmured under his breath.

_“It seems I’m unwelcome, no matter where I go.”_

                The following conversation had struck a chord with him, realizing that despite all that his appearance showed, the other was just another victim – outcast in a world that didn’t care if he sank or swam. The words had caught the other’s attention as Akira poured the hot water over the coffee. “It’s not fair to you. His grudge is against Niijima. I’m not sure if he realizes that. He’s stubborn.”

                His words drew a disbelieving chuckle from the other, Akira watching as he traced the whorls of the wooden grain with a gloved finger.

                “You are a strange creature, Kurusu—”

                “Akira.”

                “Very well, you are a strange creature, Akira.” He wondered if he imagined the somewhat whimsical tone of the other, as the detective returned to leaning against his hand, his attention on Akira while he worked, almost finished with the drink. The teen paused in his work, looking back over to Akechi and the blank spot before him.

                “Did you ever order anything?”

                “Ah, no… I didn’t want to bother Sakura-san, so I was content to sit here.” The other looked almost meek as he said it, Akira staring at him for a long moment before humming to himself, looking back down to the prepared cup of coffee.

                The startled look when he placed the cup before him made waiting on another for himself all the worthwhile, the look on Akechi’s face only able to be described as baffled.

                _Cute_.

                It was the only word he could think, as the other teenager looked up at him, his eyebrows drawn high in surprise. Akira gave him a polite smirk, the amusement in his eyes almost hidden by the glare of the lights above him.

                “Thank you, but I—”

                “It’s on the house, think of it as an apology.” That stupefied the other, but seemed to coerce him enough, leaning to pick up the cup and draw it to his lip, gently sucking in a breath to breathe over the steaming surface. Akira set some more water boiling, leaning back to watch the other enjoy the cup, wondering if the color in the brunet’s face was from the heat of the drink, or flushed from Akira’s behavior.

                There was something alluring about the other, that drew him in, despite knowing fully well what he thought of him – even if he didn’t know he was one of the infamous Phantom Thieves. He almost thought of the other as a puzzle box, the way that he often would circumnavigate questions that bore too deeply.

                And to be frank, Akira had quite the fondness for puzzle boxes…

                And a fondness for Akechi, but he wasn’t as frank about that.

                The atmosphere of the small café was as intimate and comforting as it always had been, and he wondered idly if that was the reason that the other had begun to come. If larger places would find him inundated with fans, while at LeBlanc he could relax without worrying about others seeing him. Akira doubted that any other customers would come in, casting a glance out to the dimly lit street, seeing the narrow streaks of rain still splattering onto the ground.

                He quelled the amusement that threatened to break over his face, every so often catching the darting eyes of the other glancing at him, watching Akira while he reclined against the wall. Both wondering what the other was thinking about in that moment, where all that they had was the comfortable silence around them and the presence of another in that intimate space. Akechi’s eyes darted back to his cup, trying to hide it behind a long sip while Akira leaned to finish up his own cup.

                The strange look he was given when it was set in front of the empty seat beside Akechi almost brought a laugh bubbling up, settling on giving the other a polite smile before walking around the bar to sit beside the other. His knees spread slightly as he settled, brushing against the others, who seemed to shy away from the contact.

                Now, while Akira sipped his drink, he took in the other, watching the reserved and confused look on the detective’s face. He could almost see the steam coming out of his ears from his face heating up, he assumed from the casual touch, and trying to figure out why he would bother to sit beside him. He felt as though he was inadvertently teasing the poor soul, and he took a long sip before glancing over at the other.

                “Stop thinking so hard about it.” He hummed, and Akechi gaped slightly, mouth working as if he wanted to say something, and Akira followed up, a teasing tone and smile dripping from his lips. “After all, do I need a reason to sit beside someone I admire?”

                _That_ got his attention, and Akira took note that he was one of the one’s that blushed all the way up to their ears, the teenager leaning onto one of his hands while Akechi spluttered, setting down the cup that jingled slightly with the impact on the counter before it finally stilled.

                “O-Oh? W-Well, I’m glad to see th-that I inspired you to pursue a career in investigation—”

                “You and I both know that not what I meant.” His tone was reaching the same patronizing level it had been at earlier, taking a great amount of joy in watching the other’s flustered face try to keep itself calm.

                Akechi wondered if the other was antagonizing him, if the singsong voice he had used was nothing more than a ploy to embarrass him, and part of him reeled at the thought of the other actually _liking_ him. But, part of him still balked, still denied the possibility, quickly filling in that the other was attempting to make a mockery of him. Suddenly, the flush on his face wasn’t one of a delighted embarrassment, but rather a fury as he slid off of the chair, turning on Akira, who’s face fell from his smug smirk into one of surprise.

                “Honestly, if you just wanted me to leave as Sojiro did, you could have told me – I would have gotten the hint. There was no reason to sit here and attempt to _embarrass_ me into leaving.” The scathing words tumbled from his lips, that creature inside of him coiling tighter around the delicate heart that it nursed, and Akechi watched as it was Akira’s turn for his mouth to work out the words he could not find.

                He had slipped out of his chair by now, meeting the harsh gaze with one of genuine concern and confusion, shaking his head.

                “I wasn’t… That was genuine.”

                “I’m sure it was.” Disbelieving, harsh, and almost completely unwilling to allow the other to sit there and attempt to cover up for his blunder. His pride stung, especially after he had sat there and allowed the other to placate him with honeyed words and kind gestures.

                “I’m serious, I wasn’t trying to make fun of you. I really do. The few times we’ve seen each other, I’ve wondered what you’re like under what you allow the public to see.” Akechi stared, harsh and drawn out at the other, trying to pick up any hint that Akira was being anything but forthright with him. The seconds seemed to stretch on for eons until the anger flooded out of him, and once more the embarrassment flooded back into him, but for a different reason.

                “I-I’m… sorry. You didn’t deserve that.” He said, galled at his own behavior, and worried that he might have ruined this budding companionship he had with the other. That was, until he felt himself pulled towards the other, the air rushing out of him as he was embraced. The intimacy of the act and the simple physical contact set his skin alight, and he almost felt overwhelmed, dizzied by the contact until Akira pulled away, a smile on his face.

                “It’s alright – we all have our moments.” He said, leaning back to sit on his chair, motioning for Akechi to do the same. The buzz of the contact had yet to leave, and despite the slight chill the other had picked up from being outside, the detective had only felt warmth in the hug. He became dimly aware of the other trying to talk to him, and he was thankful for the distraction from his thoughts, feeling close to overloading on the emotions that had come with the contact.

                The conversation lulled them both into a serene calm, the atmosphere of the coffee shop returning to the intimacy that wove around them, and the heady scent of coffee relaxed their bodies and kept their minds alert. Akechi felt as though the conversation would, could, continue on forever, until the chime of Akira’s phone went off.

                “Boss said he’s not gonna be back tonight, so I’ve gotta close.” He hummed, looking out to the rain that had still yet to cease, but had lulled into a fierce drizzle, over the pounding deluge it had been prior. Akechi nodded, gathering up his things as Akira took care of the dirtied cups, looking around with his brows pinched in confusion before groaning aloud. He caught Akira’s gaze as he looked over, a cocked brow almost hidden by his bangs.

                “It seems I’ve misplaced my umbrella.”

                “I’ll walk you there with mine – it is getting late, after all.” He almost made a move to protest, but something inside of him still wanted to nurture the feelings that the other brought when he was around, so the words died on his lips, and he simply nodded, following the other’s lead.

                The walk to the station was quiet, most of the cities denizens tucked away in their homes to get away from the rain, and the comfortable silence almost seemed too perfect to ruin with simple conversation. Akechi’s skin continued to buzz as he walked beside Akira, pressed close to avoid the water that would drip onto him from the top of the umbrella. The twilight sky had continued to darken, and the clouds themselves seemed to calm, the drizzle ending as they reached the station.

                Both almost seemed sad to go their separate ways, but Akechi had promised to come back sometime within the week, which Akira had teasingly told him that he would be waiting, ‘with baited breath.’

                The brunet stepped out from under the umbrella while the other closed it, standing almost awkwardly, wondering if this parting should go any different from the other times that they had.

                A question that he did not have to answer, as Akira reached for his gloved hand, linking their fingers together and squeezing his hang reassuringly, before stepping away.

                The walk away from him towards the train was almost unbearable, the detective looking down at his hand, feeling the same emotions welling up as he could feel the phantom of Akira’s grasp. Cupping the slender fingers even after the touch, frustrated that he himself could not mimic the feeling it had instilled in him.

                But, even with that frustration, he couldn’t help but gaze at the hand folded into his lap for the ride home.

**Author's Note:**

> I wish I could say just how much I love these two, especially after finishing the game proper. If you enjoyed this please leave a kudos/comment, and check out my other stories!


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